Highlights
- Forza Motorsport needs to take inspiration from Forza Horizon 5 and provide regular updates and patches to keep players engaged and coming back for more.
- Turn 10 Studios should address issues with car handling and tracks quickly to ensure a realistic and enjoyable sim racing experience.
- Forza Motorsport should release creative content updates, including both free and paid add-ons, to expand the game's scope and give players a reason to continue playing.
With the release of Forza Motorsport, developer Turn 10 Studios has once again proved that it is one of the best in the industry when it comes to giving gamers a solid racing experience. But even though the studio’s newly released sim racer has been generally well-received by players, in order for Forza Motorsport to have lasting appeal it will have to give gamers a reason to keep coming back. When it comes to providing players with new content in the form of updates and add-ons long after a game’s initial release, Turn 10 should take a page from Forza Horizon 5’s playbook.
Even though the two games differ drastically in their approach to the sport, with Forza Horizon 5 embracing arcade-style racing while Forza Motorsport focuses solely on simulation, the former title can still provide a valuable roadmap for post-launch support. Playground Games not only still provides regular updates for Forza Horizon 5 almost two years after its launch, but it has also released two well-received expansions for the game. By giving players these same sorts of frequent updates not just in the form of balance tweaks and bug fixes, but also a mix of high-quality free and paid content, Forza Motorsport can establish the same sort of lasting legacy as its open-world alternative.
Forza Horizon 5's Wealth of Post-Launch Content Provides a Handy Roadmap for Forza Motorsport
One of the biggest lessons Turn 10 Studios can learn from the continuing success of Forza Horizon 5 is the importance of providing regular updates and patches. While racing games rarely receive the same sort of widespread popularity as titles from other genres, those who enjoy the fast-paced format can be fiercely loyal when they find a racer they like. This has proven to be the case for Forza Horizon 5, with continued improvements to its gameplay thanks to ongoing updates ensuring that dedicated fans come back year after year.
Fans of the sim racing genre are even more demanding when it comes to wanting cars to handle as closely to their real-world equivalents as possible. This is why Turn 10 Studios needs to ensure that Forza Motorsport receives the same sort of regular updates as its sister series, quickly addressing problems with cars and tracks as they arise to provide players with the definitive sim racing experience. To enjoy the same sort of long-tail success as Forza Horizon5, though, it will also need to include more than just bug fixes and balance tweaks in these updates.
Forza Motorsport Will Need More Than Bug Fixes and Balance Tweaks to Keep Fans Interested
It isn’t just providing required tweaks to car handling and other under-the-hood adjustments that keep people playing Playground Games’ open-world racer, though. Much of the game’s enduring success can be attributed to the release of several creative content updates for Forza Horizon 5 over the years. These free and paid add-ons have greatly expanded the scope and scale of gameplay and can serve as a model for types of expansions that should come to Forza Motorsport.
Working within the constraints of the sim racing genre means that Turn 10 Studios can only do so much when it comes to adding new content to Forza Motorsport without diluting its focus, but there are still ways to expand the game in the coming years. Whether that’s by obtaining the licensing rights to more iconic racetracks to include in a future paid expansion, or just ensuring that new cars are added to the game on a consistent basis, Turn 10 has plenty of options. Regularly adding new content in this manner would mean that there’s always a good reason for players to take one more lap around the track.
While its somewhat niche gameplay will likely never attract the same broad audience as arcade alternatives, that’s no reason for Forza Motorsport to rest on its laurels. By following the lead of Forza Horizon 5 and releasing regular updates in the form of patches and new content, Turn 10 Studios can give Forza Motorsport the long life it deserves.
Forza Motorsport is available for PC and Xbox Series X/S.